Now or Never
by Lady Lightspeed
Summary: prlr: Facing danger one time too many might bare the truth for two rangers.


Now or never

By Lady Lightspeed

Summary: prlr: Facing danger one time too many might bare the truth for two rangers.

disclaimer: I own nothing Power rangers, wish I did but that's life.

Author's note: I know I haven't written in a long time but here's my newest attempt at a little ranger romance. It came to me after I again watched _rtq_.

dedication: this is for Dana Grayson, Lady Lightspeed and pyro rescue 1 for encouraging me to keep writing about my fave couple.

"Hey Carter are you ok?" Dana asked into the silence which had permiated the rescue rover since they'd left the coliseum.

"Hmm?" the now demorphed red lightspeed ranger asked distractedly as he navigated the SUV through the streets of Mariner Bay. He was thinking about what had almost happened today, first he'd nearly lost his friends, nearly lost her… He'd been thinking about Dana Mitchell more and more lately but had yet to get the guts up to ask her out. The thing was she'd nearly been lost today but then so had he. He'd thought he would be too when the explosion hit. God, it had after all thrown him several hundred feet. If not for his uniform he'd have been lost just from that fall. The irony was Dana was what kept him going. He knew she was hurting over Ryan's having to go and if he left who would cheer her up?

"Are you alright You look kind of down." She asked as they passed the court house.

"Oh, um," What should he say? He couldn't tell her his thoughts, his feelings, not with everyone right their in the back seat. "I'm ok."

"alright well…" Dana was used to Carter being a bit tight lipped about his personal life but she could see something had him upset. Whenever Carter was disturbed a little frown line creased the spot between his brows. Now it was very creased and his eyes, when she'd seen them after the explosion looked haunted.

If nothing else Dana knew that her best friend would only talk when he was ready, in that they were alike.

"Listen," Carter began as he turned on to third street. "I was wondering if you'd like to go for a walk when we get back." He asked and she hid her relief, he'd talk about it after all.

"Ok." She managed to sound unconcerned.

"Oh, a walk." Joel cherped from the BACKSEAT AND Dana ROLLED HER EYES AT THE FOLLOWING SCENE.

"Shut up." Kelsey SAID AS Chad ELBOWED THE SKY COWBOY.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"Men." Kelsey muttered and even Carter's lips quirked up at their friend's antics as they neared the docks.

"So, want to tell me why we're out here?" Dana asked twenty minutes later when they'd left their friends and the rover at the parking lot.

"You know before I was a ranger I was a fire fighter." Carter said and they turned up Wilks avenue towards a large building which Dana knew to be the 23'rd company fire house. From what she'd learned her father used to work here before she and Ryan were born.

"Yes." she said taking in the dusty windows and dim street light. s Itstruck her if Queen Bansheera's minions wanted to attack they were in prime sight.

"You also know why," Carter went on as if oblivious to the danger. "Well this was my fire house/home. Carter said and that had Dana looking harder up at the building. It looked neglected but she knew from what she'd seen nearly two years ago when she'd come to recruit Carter at the apartment fire that first day they were in top form.

"Oh." She heard herself say as she thought about how although he and Kelsey did it in different ways both were dare devils, but Carter for a different reason. No, he'd never been a thrill seaker, he did what he did to help those in danger.

"I know it's nothing like the base but…" The way she was accessing the building Carter felt as if he should say something but what?

"It's great, I always wondered what it would be like to live somewhere other than the base." She admitted and he frowned over at her. Was that what she'd been thinking about? Living in a place that was different?

"You haven't?" He asked and it fit everything else he knew about her.

"NO, you know how Dad's been training me forever, well we always lived there." She admitted.

"Funny I always thought you'd have grown up in a house, you know with a basket ball hoop in the driveway and a game room in the basement." He explained and she shrugged. "Anyway you know how Captain Mitchell had trouble finding me this afternoon?"

"You were on your own time." Dana shrugged she didn't want him to think she was prying.

"Well yes but I was coming over here for something." He said turning to take her hand.

"Alright and you wanted me with you because…" She asked her heart beginning to thud.

"Well," He began taking a slow deep breath, he had to get this right. "I thought it would be fun for a first date if we went to a fair." He managed and smiled as her eyes bugged out.

"Carter…" Had she just heard him right? Was her heart going to jump out of her chest?" "Are you asking me out?" she held her breathing preying he'd say yes.

"If I am?" He asked teasingly and she grinned, he was serious. He always had that light in those blue eyes of his when he was serious.

"Well…" Now it was Carter's turn to catch his breath. "I'd have to say yes." She laughed as his breath wooshed out. She'd said yes, he'd finally asked and she'd said yes. On impulse he took it one step further, learning over so his mouth covered hers in a slow sweet kiss.

Dana wasn't ready for that but dove right in, kissing him back with all of her heart in that lip caress.

"There, I've wanted to do that since our walk after my little trial by fire." He confessed, catching his breath.

"You should have." She managed, her arms looped about his neck.

"Dana, I know I didn't do this right but I suck at the girl/guy thing. I always have, it's why I don't date much." He confessed. "The thing is today I got a nasty little reminder that we might not have time. For all we know this moment, this night might be all which is left to us."

"Carter…" His mouth covered hers in another kiss, this one full of promise and love.

"Since I can't go back and change that we can have that first date." He murmured lifting his head and she smiled up at him.

"Sounds good to me." She told him sweetly and he led her from that spot, going on around the building to the back where a full fledged fireman's fair was underway.

The end, or is it a new beginning?


End file.
